WORKPLACE
years ,” says Dr . Daniel Rockers , a local therapist and former president of the California Psychological Association .
So how , specifically , is remote work affecting us ?
We ’ ll start with the obvious . Zoom fatigue is real , says Sako , adding she ’ s seen it cause “ so many physical complications ,” from headaches to shoulder pain to back problems . That has a spillover effect . “ When people are hurting from physical pain ,” says Sako , “ that will make them less tolerant of emotional distress .”
Then there ’ s a sneakier psychological toll . Dr . Caryn Banqué , a psychologist with downtown Sacramento offices , says there are two simultaneous factors that pose a problem on Zoom : Because people are working from home , they ’ re not taking as much care of their attire or appearance ; and on the Zoom screen , they constantly stare at that little picture of themselves in the window , giving them an unusually high amount of mirror time . So as Banqué describes the paradox : “ We might get more hyperfocused with how ( we ) look , even though we ’ re not taking care with how we look .”
We ’ re social creatures . And remote work tends to reduce something called “ emotional resonance ,” says Dr . Brandy Engler , founder and CEO of Silver Lake Psychology . When we ’ re around our coworkers in the office , says Engler , thanks to all the tiny moments of chitchat and smiles and eye contact , we get little bursts of dopamine and oxytocin to the brain . “ You ’ re not quite getting that on Zoom ,” Engler says .
Our brains are wired to pick up on the emotions of others around us , so when one coworker is super cheery , everyone else feels better . This is emotional resonance . “ Our bodies and brains have the ability to read other people ’ s emotions ,” she explains . “ It ’ s a survival function .” As emotional resonance teaches us empathy , it lets us pick up on social cues , and it helps us make smarter social decisions . Sometimes , of course , emotional resonance can work to our detriment — the grumpy accountant two cubicles over who might be a killjoy . On balance though , Engler says “ we ’ re not getting emotional resonance by being cooped up alone .”
Banqué agrees and calls this dynamic the “ group effect .” She notes while we tend to think of the mob mentality as a negative , groups can uplift us . Whether it ’ s a brainstorming session , a team
“ Folks are burned out . … When we think of trauma , we think of one catastrophic event . But trauma can also be prolonged suffering , with no end in sight . Telework is one aspect of that cumulative stress .”
DR . CORRINE SAKO President , Sacramento Valley Psychological Association
lunch or even a ho-hum staff meeting , “ when you ’ re working in a group , you get so much more excited about things .” This collective experience is tough to replicate online . As Banqué says , “ When you ’ re sitting at home alone trying to figure it out , there just isn ’ t as much enthusiasm .”
Another common problem is the loss of transitions . When we commute into an office , says Banqué , “ that gives our brains time to switch gears , and we don ’ t have that right now .” Banqué notes in Sacramento especially , many had the habit of biking into the office , which served as a mental refresh . Now that transition is gone . So are the overlooked transitions of grabbing a coffee from down the block , having lunch with a colleague or even huffing up a few flights of stairs from your desk to the conference room . The benefits from the proverbial water cooler talk are real .
This loss of transitions is similar to a problem that Sako frequently sees with her patients . “ Most people are having a hard time separating work and life ,” she says . Someone might be working on a laptop , eating pasta , folding laundry and binge-watching “ Love Is Blind ” all on the same couch . This is why Sako talks about setting boundaries with “ almost every client and every session .” Not just emotional boundaries ( the usual connotation in therapy ) but actual boundaries between work and leisure time , boundaries around when you go to bed , even boundaries around when you take a shower and put on clothes .
A heavy dose of remote work , as likely every married person knows , can put new stressors on relationships and families . When partners both work from home , “ people are more temperamental , they ’ re easily triggered and they have no outlet to retreat to ,” says Dr . Arrickia McDaniel , the clinical director at STRIVE Community Health , which doubled its staff in the past two years and still struggles to meet demand . Engler , who does extensive couples therapy , says remote work tends to intensify any preexisting tensions and issues . She says she has seen “ an increase in fighting , bickering and clients talking about wanting to get a divorce .” More people are reaching out to Banqué for couples ’ counseling . “ Usually January is a lull , but this year it was a spike ,” says Banqué , but unfortunately not everyone is getting help , as the demand for therapy is so high and “ everybody is so booked up .”
Of course , not everyone is hurt by remote work and many still see it as a gift .
48 comstocksmag . com | April 2022